Rotary engine.



0. LEXA. ROTARY ENGINE.

APPLICATION FILED JULY 30, 1914.

1,122A08. Patented Dec'.29,1914.

CHARLES LEXA, on ST. LOUIS, Missourian RGTARY ENGINE.

Specification of Letters Patent.

Patented Dec. 29, 1914.

Application filed July 30, 1914. Serial No. 854,116.

T 0 all whom it may concern:

Be it known that 1, CHARLES LEXA, a subject of the Emperor of Austi ia-l-lungary, and resident of St. Louis, Missouri, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in Rotary Engines, of which the following is a specification containing a full, clear, and exact description, reference being had to the accompanying drawings, forming a part hereof.

My invention relates to an improved rotary engine, and consists in the novel construction hereinafter described and specifically designated in the appended claim.

The object of my invention is to, provide an improved motor, which may be used either as a steam or gas rotary engine, or even as a hydraulic or air motor, and which shall be very simple in construction, as well as economical and not liable to get out of order during operation.

In the drawings: Figure 1 is a vertical section of my improved rotary engine taken on the line ll of Fig. 2; and Fig. 2 is a horizontal section taken on the line 2-2 of Fig. l.

Referring by numerals to the accompanying drawings: 3 indicates a cylinder or casing mounted upon suitable legs a, and provided at diametrically opposite points with two inlet ports 5 and 6, and also at diametrically opposite points with two exhaust ports 7 and S. Formed in the space between the adjacent inlet and exhaust connections 9 and 10 at diametrically opposite points on the casing are two abutment chambers 11, within each of which chambers is pivotally mounted to rock a movable abutment l2.

13 indicates the pivots or bolts upon which said abutments are mounted. Said abutment chambers are of course freely open with respect to the interior of said casing, so that said abutments may project upon the interior of said casing and engage the piston 14. The said piston 1% is fixed upon a main shaft 15, which is mounted in suitable bearings 16, carried by cylinder heads 17, secured in position by bolts 18, which latter pass through apertures in said heads and in lugs 19 formed on said casing. The said piston is provided with a plurality ofprojections 20, which are preferably arranged in triangular position with relation to each other, as shown, and are adapted to make a tight joint with the interior of said casing as the said piston rotates during operation.

I do not limit myself to the exact arrange ment herein shown and described, as it is obvious that the same may be changed within the scope of the appended claim by a skilled workman without departing from the spirit of my invention.

Access is afforded to the said abutment chambers 11 by a detachable plate 21 secured in position by means of screws Located between said plates 21 and their. seats is a combined gasket and resilient bumper 2:5.

The operation is as follows: The fluids, such as steam, air, water-or gas, for operating the engine are supplied from a suitable source to the said inlet ports 5 and (5, and

come in contact with the piston projection 20 at the top of the casing, and thereby rotate the said piston 14: in the direction indicated by the arrow in Fig. 1, until said projection 20 passes the first exhaust port 7, whereupon the impelling fluid will be exhausted from the space in the casing be-, tween the said projection 20 just mentioned and the rocking abutment 12 at the right hand of Fig. 1. Meanwhile, the projection 20 shown at the left hand of Fig. 1 will have moved off of the rocking abutment 12 at the left hand of Fig. l, and the incoming fluid entering the port 6 at the left hand of Fig. 1

will come in contact with the said rocking abutment thereat, and thereby open said port and force said abutmentinwardly into close contact with the piston 14, whereupon the said piston projection 20 at the left hand of F ig. 1 will be forced in the direc tion'indicatcd by the arrow, and the rotary movement ofthe said piston will be continued. Then said piston projection 20 will pass over the exhaust port 8 at the right hand of Fig. l, permitting the fluid behind said projection to be exhausted from said port. Then the piston projection 20 at the right hand of Fig. 1 will come in contact with the rocking abutment 12 at the right hand of said figure, and will force said abutment to recede within its abutment chamber 11', thereby permitting said projection 20 to pass said abutment. WVhereupon steam or other fluid from the'inlet port 5 at the right hand of Fig. 1 will force the adjacent abutment l2 inwardly in position ready to repeat the operation first mentioned.

It will be observed that the abutments 12 are each provided with the projection 2 which performs a two-fold function, to-

Wit: said projection 24 closes the inlet ,port and thereby acts as an inlet valve, and also as an impact wing which is engaged by the incoming fluid to force the said abutment inwardly into an operative position. The gasket 23 acts as a bumper for the said abut ments, to prevent pounding of said abutments upon the abutment chamber plates 21 as said abutments are thrown outwardly by the piston projections 20 during operation. The said gaskets :23 are preferably made of rubber-packing sheets, and are of such size that (as shown) they extend throughout the entire inner surface of the said plates 21, and act in the double capacity of packinggaskets and bumpers, their bumper function being performed most effectually by reason of the fact that the entire outer faces of the said abutments 12 strike the entire broad exposed inner surface of said gaskets each time said abutments are thrown out- Wardly during operation of the engine.

I claim:

In a rotary-engine, a suitable casing, a piston in said casing, abutment-chambers on said casing, movable abutments in said chambers, detachable plates for affording access to said chambers, sheets of resilient material covering the entire inner faces of said plates, and located between said plates, their seats, and said abutments, to be contacted by said abutments throughout the extent of the outer faces of the latter and thereby act in the double capacity of gaskets and bumpers.

In testimony whereof, I have signed my name to this specification, in presence of two subscribing Witnesses.

CHARLES LEXA.

l/Vitnesses:

E. L. VVA'LLA'CE, JOHN C. HlonoN.

Copies of this patent may be obtained for five cents each, by addressing the Commissioner oi Patents, Washington, D. C. 

